Help! Canon Pixma iP1500 prints only streaks!

[miaoling]

Hello all,

Too bad my intro post is a call for help. I have a Canon Pixma iP1500 printer and a Win XP laptop. I got the printer off someone else before the summer, and it sat around in dorm storage all summer, which is probably why it now refuses to work. This is the first printer I ever had so my knowledge of problems and jargon is severely limited. Basically I replaced the black ink (didn't buy colored ink) and it clicked into place all right. But when I printed something, the sheet comes out blank, with a few very faint streaks of ink. I did cleaning, deep cleaning, print head alignment (whatever that is) and nozzle check. The pattern print test, of course, failed, because the same faint streaks came out. I have to mention that I'm using generic ink cartridges (you probably figured out by now that I'm a cheapass). I've tried another cartridge but no luck. So there you have it: cheap printer of dubious origin running off cheap ink printing nothing but streaks. Does anyone have suggestions, ideas, hints, solutions, etc. because as I said this is my first printer ever and I was so excited not to have to run to the library for the merest one-page paper? Thanks a million!

 

[jflan]

I've recovered several iP1500's from the state you describe.
Most all of them required me to manually unclog the printhead out of the machine.
Search the forum here for "printhead cleaning" and you will get plenty of information on how to proceed.
Please post back if you have any questions.

 

[miaoling]

Thanks for the reply! I did some Googling and found a bunch of suggestions. As I live in a dorm and don't have any tools or chemicals (compressed air, alcohol, etc.) the only thing I could do and have done is run the printhead through hot water. I did see a ton of ink come out. Except...when I fitted it back and tried to print something, still nothing came out. I left for class a sorely disappointed person.

I did search the forum and the Internet at large for similar problems. But all the questions I've found are printers 1. more or less able to print something, though the color or texture is wrong, and 2. not printing anything, but at least shows error messages. My printer just purrs right along and churn out one white page after another with very faint black marks on them. I was in fact going to take the printhead apart, but one of the screws was so stripped it wouldn't give way at all. Should I go ahead and run to CVS for a bottle of isopropyl alcohol or something? Would all the soaking damage all the circuitry and whatnot? Thanks a lot guys!

 

[jflan]

Do not, repeat do not allow the PCB to get wet during printhead cleaning !!
Search HERE, not the web on "printhead cleaning"

Do not take the head apart.
IMO, compressed air is OK to speed drying, I don't rely on it at all for cleaning.

Successful printhead cleaning requires careful, accurate procedure. There are several variations of the basic method. Post back with what you want to try (after searching) and someone will guide you through the process.

 

[miaoling]

There is a thread here that has great explanations: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3004. I read it through and noticed that the washing is basically what I did, minus the blowdrying and letting distilled water filter through overnight. Should I go ahead and try them? Also, the part about priming ink by blowing into the air intake until ink drips out: I can't find anything that looks like an air intake, i.e. any opening, on the ink cart (Canon BCI-24 black/color). Please let me know and I'll try again. A lot of people seem to find that isopropyl alcohol works for them. I'm open to that too, especially since it seems to take less time than the overnight method.

Also, how do you do any washing of the printhead without getting at least minuscule drops of water/whatever washing liquid you're using on the PCB? Especially when you're letting hot water blast the heck out of the printhead?

Oh and do you think it could be something other than the printhead? Someone mentioned the purge mechanism as a possible cause.

Thanks for the replies! The learning curve is proving rather steep, and I'm spending enough hours to buy a new printer should I get paid minimum wage for them. But it's quite an adventure!

 

[jflan]

There is a thread here that has great explanations: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3004. I read it through and noticed that the washing is basically what I did, minus the blowdrying and letting distilled water filter through overnight. Should I go ahead and try them?

That's a good thread and yes, I would soak the head overnight making sure that the PCB stays dry. With a syringe you can carefully place water onto the intakes for the soaking period.
Distilled water heated to about 140F is a plus to start off the soak.

After the soak, take a syringe adapted with a short piece of flexible plastic tubing and try to pull (draw, suck) the distilled water up from the bath and out one of the intakes. Reverse flow, the theory being that it is easier to pull out a clog rather than force it through the nozzles.
The flexible plasic tubing adapters need to fit over the intakes and not touch them.

Also, the part about priming ink by blowing into the air intake until ink drips out: I can't find anything that looks like an air intake, i.e. any opening, on the ink cart (Canon BCI-24 black/color). Please let me know and I'll try again.

I don't think that this is important, just have a good cartridge.

A lot of people seem to find that isopropyl alcohol works for them. I'm open to that too, especially since it seems to take less time than the overnight method.

I use a mixture of 90+% Isopropyl Alcohol (1 part) and Windex Original w/Ammonia-D (2 parts) for my phase two efforts if the heated, distilled water doesn't work. I don't expose the head to it for more than an hour or so and quickly flush it with DW or ink if possible.

Also, how do you do any washing of the printhead without getting at least minuscule drops of water/whatever washing liquid you're using on the PCB? Especially when you're letting hot water blast the heck out of the printhead?

It's easy to keep the PCB dry if you use a shallow bath and syringe water onto the intakes.
Blasting the heck out of the PH w/hot water is a fool's mission.

Oh and do you think it could be something other than the printhead? Someone mentioned the purge mechanism as a possible cause.

Yes, could be the built in purge system is clogged or the pump has failed.
With the adapted syringe method as described above, you will be able to determine that the PH is clear. You will see ink mixed with water enter the syringe or exit the nozzles depending on whether you are pushing or pulling.
Some clogs that I have cleared occurred on the pushing stroke. You will see a small plume of ink in the bath at the moment the clog is cleared.

Once you are satisfied the PH is clear, dry it thoroughly and reinstall.
If it won't print a test pattern try syringing on a few drops Windex onto the printer's Park Pad. You can make the heavily inked pad go almost white and sometimes this will wake up the purging sytem if the pump has not failed or there's no tubing compromised.
Scrutinize the color/condition of the Park Pad after applying Windex, then try to run a test pattern.
Now look again at the Park Pad, if there is no change in its appearance, then the purging system is not working.
Don't abandon the PH cleaning and jump over to Park Pad / purge system....verify the PH is clear, first !

 

[miaoling]

Wow, that's amazing. Will put that into action over the weekend. One more question: if I do get the PCB wet by mistake, will a thorough drying be enough to prevent any damage?

Thanks a mil for the incredibly detailed instructions!

 

[jflan]

Wow, that's amazing. Will put that into action over the weekend. One more question: if I do get the PCB wet by mistake, will a thorough drying be enough to prevent any damage?

No guarantees, but completely drying the PCB would be imperative, otherwise it's likely sudden death for the PH.